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Students from a local middle school discuss a recent incident in which a group of students was suspended looking at explicit images inside a classroom. Rory Devine reports. (Published Friday, Jun 15, 2012)

Updated at 10:28 AM PDT on Monday, Jun 18, 2012

Nine male students were suspended from Bell Middle School for allegedly masturbating while looking at pornography on their cell phones during English class.

Students were suspended during the month of May, the district confirmed in an e-mail to NBC San Diego. But the email also states, the district is "prohibited from commenting on confidential student or personnel matters."

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The teacher, Ed Johnson, is reportedly under fire because he did not respond to students who told him about the behavior while it was allegedly happening – only saying he would give students referrals if he caught them – then went on reading at his desk.

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Students who knew about the suspensions told NBC San Diego that their behavior was “nasty” and “disgusting.”

“It's crazy I don't even know I can't even believe it,” one student told NBC San Diego.

The teachers union says the allegation the teacher did not follow through and take action is simply that – an allegation made by two students in the classroom.

"With respect to Mr. Johnson, all we can tell you is that he is employed by the District and remains assigned to Bell Middle School as of Friday,” the district stated in an email. “His schedule has not changed."

He's my teacher but I'm in a different period, and he doesn't really do much about anything because he's not a good teacher,” said another student to NBC San Diego. “He always reads. That's all we do in class is read you read with him no he reads and we listen.”

The principal of the South Bay school is not commenting and said the teacher is not talking about the situation.

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